Margarine or butter whats the difference

Margarine or butter whats the difference

Both have the same amount of calories. 
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Inceases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added).

Country Gravey

Nothing taste better on a cold morning then biscuits with Country Gravy. With the gravy taking less then 15 minutes to make its easy for getting your morning started.



Country Gravey

Ingredients

1 can - Grands Biscuit (8 count)
1/2 lb - Ground sausage
1 tbs - Vegetable oil or butter
2 tbs - Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour  
1 cup - milk  
1/4 tsp - Salt   (to taste)
1/4 tsp - Pepper   (to taste)

 Directions

1 Cook sausage until done

2 After removing cooked meat from skillet or pan, add oil to drippings in skillet. Stir in flour, scraping up brown particles. Cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is light golden brown.

3 Stir in milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is boiling and thickened. If gravy is too thick, stir in more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Stir in salt and pepper.


(to increase amount just double, triple amounts as needed)

Houston Barbecue Festival

Tickets to go on sale for third edition of Houston Barbecue Festival

Featuring a who's who of local pitmasters, the third annual Houston Barbecue Festival will be April 26 at NRG Park.

The event includes four barbecue joints featured in Alison Cook's Top 100 Restaurants. Among them: Brooks' Place, CorkScrew, Gatlin's and Killen's.

Other confirmed participants include Blake's BBQ, the Brisket House, El Burro & the Bull, Fainmous, Feges BBQ, Gerardo's, Lenox, Oak Leaf Smokehouse, Pappa Charlie's, Pizzitola's, Ray's BBQ Shack, Roegels Barbecue Co., Spring Creek and The Wooden Spoke.

Read Full Article

Party Portion

Here is simple chart that will help you know how much to serve

The Zero Calorie Myth

The Zero Calorie Myth


Zero in on this: If a food has 5 calories or less per serving, the FDA allows the manufacturer to say that the food has no calories on its label. Not a huge deal, right? Maybe, but if you sweeten your coffee, tea, or yogurt with Splenda or ever use zero-calorie butter or oil sprays, those stray calories can add up fast. For example, a 1.2-pound bag of Splenda No-Calorie Sweetener has 1,100 1-teaspoon servings for a grand total of 2,200 calories, or 96 calories per cup. True, it's nowhere near the 774 calories in a cup of real sugar, but it's also not zero.


Further proof: A woman in Nebraska recently filed a lawsuit against Parkay Spray butter for false advertising. Even though Parkay markets its spray as fat- and calorie-free, an 8-ounce bottle canister contains 832 calories and 93 grams of fat—not what you'd expect if you're pouring the spray over your steamed veggies, which is what the Nebraskan woman copped to doing, admitting that she went through two bottles a week until she realized the truth about her favorite "calorie-free" spray.

Why the deception? Within certain legal bounds, food manufacturers are able to determine the serving size for its products, allowing Parkay to list five meager sprays—not enough to coat a kitchen skillet—as an appropriate amount of spray to use. Most companies are also tight-lipped about how many calories are actually in "zero-calorie" foods. Some opt for a disclaimer on the packaging like, "Adds a trivial amount of fat" or "Adds trace calories." Splenda does score points for transparency by providing true calorie counts on its website.

But even if you can't get the whole truth, you can ballpark a food's caloric punch. "If it says zero calories, we know it's going to have somewhere between zero and five calories per serving," says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet. "Just look at how many servings it has and multiply by 5. That would be the maximum, and that way you can at least get an idea of the full calorie potential."
But the bad news for dieters still remains: There's no such thing as calorie-free food.

Salt intake and how to lower it

Your body does need some salt, also called sodium. But you really need only about 200 milligrams (mg) a day, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). A teaspoon of salt has about 2,300 mg of sodium. That’s more than 10 times the amount you need in a day. Most Americans consume 3,000 to 3,600 mg of salt every day. The AHA suggests that most people should cut their daily salt intake to no more than 1,500 mg. 


Too much salt in your diet can cause you to retain water. That extra fluid can be hard on your heart and blood vessels. It can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease or stroke. High amounts of salt also raise your risk of kidney stones and bone loss. 

In the Kitchen

• Cut the amount of salt in half when cooking from a recipe. Better yet, leave it out altogether. Instead, use herbs and spices. Seasonings that do not have sodium are the best choices. For example, garlic powder or minced garlic is better than garlic salt. Some spice blends come in a salt-free version. 
• Don’t add salt to water when cooking rice or pasta or preparing hot cereal.  
• Buy fresh vegetables. Plain frozen vegetables are good too. If you buy canned, look for those labeled “no salt added.” On the other hand, fresh fruit and canned fruits have very little sodium. One note: Watch out for pickles. They are usually high in salt.  
• Rinse tuna, beans, shellfish and other canned foods with cold water before using. 
• Skip or use sparingly: soy sauce (both regular and light), teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and taco sauce.  

When Grocery Shopping

• Learn to read labels. Foods that are low in sodium will have less than 140 mg per serving, or less than 5% of the daily value. Salt also can be hidden in other ingredients: monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda, baking powder, disodium phosphate and any other compound that has “sodium” or the chemical symbol “Na” in its name.  
• Avoid canned soups or broths. Avoid flavored rice and pastas. These are typically higher in salt. Try low-sodium versions instead.  
• Look for cheese and other foods that are labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium” or “no salt added.” Other options: “unsalted” or “sodium free.”  
• Avoid salty snacks like potato chips, peanuts and pretzels. If you want chips, nuts and pretzels, choose the unsalted versions.  
• Avoid or limit these foods in your diet because they’re very high in salt: bacon, bologna, frozen breaded meats, deli meats, hot dogs, sardines, and smoked fish.  

At the Table 

• Keep the salt shaker off the kitchen table. If you are used to salting your food, gradually reduce the amount of salt you add to your meals. Within 6 to 8 weeks, you may find you don’t even miss the salt.  
• Sprinkle vinegar or lemon juice on your vegetables in place of salt.  
• Watch your portions. If you want something salty as a treat now and then, it’s OK. Just eat a little bit. And leave other salty items off your plate.  
• When dining out, ask your server to please tell the chef you’re watching your sodium and not to add any salt to your order.

How to get rid of cooking smells in your home

Bacon fat. Broiled fish. Spicy curry. These are just a few of the food odors that smell so good when dinner is on the table — and so awful the next morning when the smell invariably lingers. What can you do to minimize pungent cooking odors, especially in small apartments? Here are five simple, inexpensive ideas.

1. Close bedroom and closet doors while cooking.

Fabric readily absorbs grease and odors, and can't be cleaned with a quick wipe-down the way hard surfaces can. Closing bedroom and closet doors before cooking anything smelly or greasy ensures that you won't have to fall asleep in a bed that smells like bacon. (Although it might help you wake up in the morning.)

2. Ventilate however you can.

The best way to avoid odors is to get them outside or otherwise out of the air as quickly as possible. If you have a vent over your stove, use it! Otherwise, an air conditioner or air filter can remove greasy cooking smells from the air. (Remember to change filters regularly.) Even just opening a window helps, especially if you can set up a fan pointing out the window, to push odors outside.

3. Clean up immediately.

Wipe up splatters on the stove and counter top, and wash all greasy cooking pans as soon as possible. There's nothing worse than waking up to a pan full of stinky oil sitting on the stove.

4. Simmer your favorite spices.

Pleasant-smelling whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves and citrus peels can be simmered in some water on the stove for an all-natural air freshener that masks any lingering cooking odors.

5. Leave a bowl of vinegar, baking soda or coffee grounds on the counter overnight.

To absorb stubborn odors, leave a small bowl on the counter filled with white vinegar, baking soda or coffee grounds before you go to bed. Any of the three will naturally dissipate any remaining cooking smells by morning.
Do you have any other tips for minimizing or getting rid of pungent cooking smells?

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

I serve these at all my gatherings an they are always the first to go.

Ingredients

12 wooden toothpicks

4 oz (half of 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or finely chopped green onions

6 jalapeño chiles (2 to 3 inch), halved lengthwise, seeded

4 slices bacon

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment paper. Soak toothpicks in small bowl of warm water to prevent burning.
• 2 In small bowl, mix cream cheese and chives. Spoon mixture evenly into chile halves.
• 3 Cut each bacon slice crosswise into thirds. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each stuffed chile half; secure with soaked toothpick. Place on cookie sheet.
• 4 Bake 25 minutes or until bacon is crispy and chiles are tender. Serve warm.

Heat Fully Cooked Ham

Ham is traditional for Easter dinner and for Christmas in the United States. But, as with all big chunks of meat, many people are intimidated by it. After all, a large ham can cost more than $70.00; that alone is enough to scare anyone who wants to serve it hot and juicy. So what's the best way to heat fully cooked ham?

Please check the BBQ site for information about country hams.

True hams are made from the leg of the pig; the butt end or shank end is cured, by wet curing in a brine solution, or dry curing, then smoked or cooked. The butt end has more meat and fat, and the shank end has sweeter meat. Hams are sold boneless or bone-in. Some people think that the bone-in hams have more flavor; the choice is up to you. Remember, these instructions are for reheating a fully-cooked ham. An uncooked ham is a fresh ham and must be cooked to 160 degrees F before eating.

• Spiral Sliced Hams
  These hams are delicious cold, but if you want to reheat them, the instructions are on the package. Place the ham, cut-side-down, on heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap the ham thoroughly. Or use an oven roasting bag; follow instructions on the bag for preparation. Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 10-14 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. If the ham came with extra glaze, follow the package directions for adding it and cooking the glaze. To glaze this type of ham, turn the oven to 400°F, brush the ham with the glaze, and bake for 10-15 minutes until the glaze is browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing to serve. My current favorite ham is New Braunfels Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Ham. It has the perfect texture and a wonderful sweet flavor.
• Slow Cooker Method for Heating Ham
  Hams emerge very moist and tender from the slow cooker. Make sure that the ham will fit into your slow cooker. Place the ham in the appliance and add the glaze ingredients. You can also just add some Coke or Pepsi, chicken broth, or water; about 1 cup will do it. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours, until ham is thoroughly heated. If you want to glaze the ham, place on a broiler pan and cover with glaze; broil 10" from the heat for 10-15 minutes, watching carefully, until glaze is cooked.
• Oven Method
  The goal is to reheat the ham without drying it out. The best way to do this is to place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. Unwrap the ham and apply the glaze; increase the heat to 400°F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer until the glaze is burnished. 
• Grill Method to Heat Ham
  It's difficult to grill a whole or half ham because the method uses such dry high heat. Ham steaks or slices, however, can be wonderful grilled. If you do want to grill a large ham, use the indirect cooking method and make sure that the coals burn down to a gray ash coating before you add the ham.
You do have to carefully read the label of the ham you purchase to make sure you prepare it properly. Most hams sold in the supermarket are fully-cooked, but check the label to be sure. In this case, you are just reheating the ham, and the most important consideration is to make sure it doesn't dry out.

Ham Glaze Recipes

Glazing a ham can definitely turn it from simple to special for the holiday!

For starters, a glaze is any combination of ingredients that is brushed or slathered on the meat to enhance its flavor. If you Google ham glazes you will get 256,000+ results, so here is the short list. My rule for a good glaze is no more then 5 ingredients. I like to keep it simple and let the flavors in the glaze come through to enhance the ham not overpower it. I also prefer to glaze the ham during the entire cooking time (like basting a turkey) rather than glazing at high heat the last 20-30 minutes. Hope you enjoy!



If you have one of your own glaze recipes that rocks, please share it here. I would love to try it.

1. Honey and Brown Sugar Ham Glaze

• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Prepared Mustard

2. Orange Glaze

• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce

3. Baked Ham Maple Glaze

• 1 tbsp Mustard
• 2/3 cup Real Maple Syrup

4. Brown Sugar Glaze

• 1½ cups Brown Sugar
• 1½ tsp Dry Mustard Powder
• 3/4 tsp Ground Cloves

5. Marmalade Glaze

• 1/4 cup Orange Marmalade
• 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Flour
• Pineapple Juice (enough to create a thick paste)

6. Pineapple Glaze

• 1½ tsp Dry Mustard
• 1½ cups Brown Sugar
• 3/4 cup Crushed Pineapple, well drained

7. Chinese Glaze Recipe by Sophia Young

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 finely chopped garlic clove
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger

8. Ginger Glaze

• 1 tsp Dry Ginger
• 1 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
• Canned Pear or Peach Syrup (to make thick paste)
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Instructions (For All Recipes)

1. First, you need to make a slit in the rind of the ham.
2. Trim the rind and fat at the same time, leaving 1/4 inch layer of fat on ham.
3. Make diagonal cuts along the surface of the ham, on the fat layer, making sure not to penetrate the meat.
4. Now, make diagonal cuts in the opposite direction, forming diamond shapes in the fat layer.
5. Take a bowl and put all the ingredients in it (this works for all the above mentioned recipes)
6. Mix the ingredients well and brush over the ham.
7. As the ham cooks, occasionally brush it with the extra glaze .